Of One Mind
by Phantom Castles
Summary: L Lawliet is dead,but cases still need to be solved. Near is overwhelmed with the amount of unsolvable cases which has caused Wammy's to find untraditional ways to solve the problem. A sixteen year old girl can be used as a vessel for spirits to communicate with the living. She allows L to use her body to solve cases, but what happens when sharing a mind causes them to fall in love
1. Chapter 1

"What's her name?" Near asked as he twirled his snow white hair between two of his fingers.

It had been a year since the death of detective L Lawliet, criminal cases where piling up higher than ever before, and Nate River was desperate and running out of options. Nate was now fourteen years of age and although Nate was a savant, he was never meant to work alone. Nate's mind worked far better when paired with another mind.

"Astia Bell." Matsuda replied.

He held a clipboard close to his chest and adapted a worried expression on his face. Touta Matsuda was also becoming desperate. As of a year ago, Matsuda had been offered the job as head of task force affairs, although he kindly turned down and decided to join the SPK where, he believed, he could do more good for the world. Although, now the SPK was known as the WSDF or the "Wammy's Special Detective Force". However, his year of working for the WSDF had been stressful and unfortunate due to the intense amount of cases that had been the job of the WSDF to solve. Without the assistance of L Lawliet there was no possible way that a majority of those cases could be solved. This fact caused Touta Matsuda and Nate River to look for less than traditional ways to solve the overwhelming amount of cases that were before them.

"Astia Bell," Near repeated ",are we sure that what this girl does is real? Not some hoax or children's prank?"

"All recorded accounts have seemed to be legit, but I guess we can't know for certain unless we bring her here."

Matsuda didn't like the idea of dealing with supernatural affairs due to what he had gone through with the Kira case, and talking about the very subject made him nervous and a little sweaty. He stood next to Near who sat on the floor with his legs against his chest. Near half-heartedly stacked light blue blocks on top of each other until they toppled over and on to the floor. Matsuda silently waited for Near's response, and twitched a little anxiously. Near noticed this and sighed. To Near, their next move was so obvious he didn't feel as if he even needed to say it out loud. However, after many seconds it became obvious that Matsuda didn't understand what their next move was.

"Well, Matsuda, then theres only one solution, isn't there?" Near said so quietly he was almost whispering.

"W-what's that?" Matsuda stuttered.

Near sighed again, this time making it evident that he was annoyed.

"We find this girl and we bring her here."

"Astia? Can you feel her?" Embry asked.

Embry Powell was a thirteen year old girl who was many things. She was a straight "B" student. She was an involved member of the Addison Middle School photography club. Most recently, however, she was labeled as the best friend of Lovette Richards who had died in a tragic fire caused by an unwatched hair straightener just a few weeks ago. The two girls had been self proclaimed "Best Friends Forever" since the very first day of first grade, and now Embry stood before Astia Bell ,with red puffy eyes, in desperate attempts to talk once more to her best friend.

"I can feel her, Miss Embry." Astia said.

Astia had the little quirk of calling all of her "clients" Miss and Mister, regardless of their age. She grabbed Embry's small hands and looked into her teary eyes.

"Now Embry, she's going to talk to you through me, say what you need to say and then say your goodbyes."

Embry nodded her head and watched as Astia's dark brown eyes slowly became a sea blue that Embry had only ever seen on one other person. They were Lovette's sea blue eyes that Embry had complimented a thousand times, and envied for years.

"Embie?"

The words that came out of Astia's mouth were not her words, nor was it her voice. It was evident that the center stage of Astia's mind had been taken over by Lovette. Astia didn't fight it, she allowed Lovette to take the stage as she gladly watched from the crowd.

"Lovette?!" Embry gasped and laughed through tears. She wrapped her arms around Astia's body giving a hug that wasn't meant for Astia.

"Hey, Embie. How have you been?" Lovette whispered in Embry's ear.

Embry was shaking as she pulled away from their hug.

"Lonely without you, but the photography class gave the newspaper the prettiest picture of you for your obituary. The one that I took of you on our field trip to Pike's Place, remember? Oh! Also, Mrs. Faustine gave the newspaper your short story and they published it on the second page! Your mom was so proud she cried for…. well, she cried."

Embry spoke her words in one swift motion as if she was afraid that Lovette was going to leave her again as quickly as she had the first time.

"I really loved that picture…. Tell Mom and Dad I'm sorry. Mom told me a million times not to leave my straighter on the carpet and I told her that it was fine and it would never start a fire. She was right, I should've listened to her. I screwed up. I bet they hate me." Astia's eyes began to fill with tears as Lovette said this.

"No! Lovette Gertrude Richards don't you ever say that. Your parents don't hate you, they love you and they miss you so much."

"I know they do, I'm sorry. Just…give them a hug for me, okay?"

"I will, Lovette. I promise."

"Thanks, Embie."

Embry hugged Astia's body once more.

"Oh, and Lovette?" Embry asked, still embracing her.

"Yes?"

"Walter Dunkin asked me out yesterday."

Astia's nose scrunched up.

"Ew, Walter Dunkin? What'd you say?"

"I told him that he had a better chance of going out with Kate Beckinsale."

Lovette laughed and began to cry partway through her laughter.

"That's my girl… I love you ,Embry."

"I love you too, Lovette."

"Goodbye.."

The sea blue color left Astia's eyes and the dark brown returned. Embry fell to her knees in tears and gasped for air.

"Are you okay, Miss Embry?" Astia asked, kneeling down.

"Yes, I'm more than okay. Thank you so much…"

Astia made sure that Embry made it home safely before she began to walk home herself. Her dark hair swung across her shoulders as she walked, and the wind lifted it into the air. She watched the trees pass by her, and the leaves dance on the ground.

 _Today was good. Normal. Well, as normal as it can be. I didn't screw anything up, that's what's important. I helped Miss Embry talk to her friend and that's it. I did what I was suppose to do and now I can go home in my comforting solitude._ Astia thought to herself.

She constantly felt as though in every social interaction she was in she messed something up. As a result of this, each day as she walked home she went over each of her interactions and decided whether her day had been successful based on that. Unfortunately for her, most days weren't very successful. She had been branded as "The Girl Who Talks to Ghosts" and when you're sixteen years old that's not exactly what you want people to associate you with, besides Astia didn't talk to ghosts, she shared her mind with spirits and allowed them to use her as a vessel to speak to the living through.

As Astia reached the front door of her house she stopped. There was a black car outside of her house. Astia walked past the street in front of her house one hundred eighty times a year(she only left the house when schooldays demanded it) and needless to say, she knew all of the neighbors cars. Not one of them owned a black car. Not once had their ever been a black car outside of her house. There had been a black cat once that she had fed a can of tuna before her mother had chased the cat away and told Astia not to waste good tuna, but never once had Astia seen a black car outside of her house.

She walked hesitantly into the house. She expected to see her mother half asleep at the kitchen table with a coffee in her hand, but that wasn't the case. Instead, Astia saw her mother sitting at the kitchen table with a man in a suit and an anxious expression on her face.

"Mom?" Astia asked.

The suited man stood up and as he did, he hit his head against the ceiling lamp that hang over their kitchen table.

"Ow, dammit." The man muttered. He extended his hand for Astia to shake it. "Hello, Ms. Bell! I'm Touta Matsuda, I'm with the WSDF, and we believe we may have a use for your….uh talents."

Astia looked at Matsuda with suspicion and turned to her mother.

"Mom, who is this guy?" She asked her mother.

"He's with the government he wants to use you to talk to some dead detective."

"Uh, it's a little more complicated than that, Mrs. Bell." Matsuda interrupted. "See, have you ever heard of detective L?"

"Of course I have, the internet's obsessed with him." Astia replied.

Matsuda chuckled quietly. It never occurred to him that the cases L solved would creative him into a figure of praise on the internet. It seemed a little funny to him and he felt as though if L were still alive he would've been surprised to find that out.

"Well, we want you to let him solve cases through you. Using you as a 'vessel' and what not." He said, rubbing the bump on his head.

"Like…as a job?" Astia asked him.

"Well, yes, sorta. We want you to come live in the WSDF headquarters and allow L to solve the cases through your body. Of course, we'll pay as much as you'd like for a special service like this, and we'll have a Wammy's House professor school you while you stay there, and if you'd like, after high school, you can attend Wammy's House University no expense, or if you'd like we could pay for you to go to Samus First College if you'd like to be closer to your family, or-"

"You'll pay for colleges! She gets it." Mrs. Bell snapped, interrupting Matsuda.

Mrs. Bell was angry. She was angry because she knew that what he was offering was an amazing deal for Astia. She'd get to travel, help people, go to a good college without the worry of finances, and best of all she'd get out of this town and meet new people who won't call her a freak because she has talents that they can't understand. She knew that Astia would have to take the job, but it hurt her heart to know that she would have to lose her little girl.

Matsuda blushed out of embarrassment. "Yes, we will pay your college funds, I'm sorry for rambling."

 _They'll pay for colleges. Oh my goodness they will pay for me to go to college, and they'll give me a private professor! No other students, no social interactions. This is too good to be true. It has to be._

Astia looked at her mother's sad face and realized what the downside to this perfect situation was.

"Mom… if you don't want me to take the job I dont-"

"When does she start?" Mrs. Bell interrupted.

Matsuda gasped and smiled. "Well uh- immediately! If um, if you don't mind, Mrs. Bell." He stuttered out of shock.

Astia looked at her mom who gave her a grim smile, and Astia herself began to smile. She looked at Matsuda and laughed as the happiness she felt burst out of her.

"Well then, I'll go pack my bags!"


	2. Chapter 2

"Mister Matsie! Mister Matsie! What's the plane doing?!" Astia shouted as the plane began its departure.

Astia had decided that the name "Matsuda" was too difficult to say on a day to day basis and that "Matsie" was much more suitable. She grasped Matsuda's arm and shook it with the same intensity that the plane shook. She gasped as it rumbled and tilted upwards. Matsuda's arm was nearly about to come off.

"Ms. Bell…. Ms. Bell! You need to come down, the plane is just taking off." He stated loudly, trying to overpower her gasps.

Astia looked out the window and watched as the ground became further and further away from her. It scared her a little and she buried her face into the shirt of Matsuda's suit. He leaned back in surprise. His mouth opened, not knowing what to do. Eventually he put his hand on her head in attempts to be comforting. He stroked her hair as she trembled from fear. Her cries of terror didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon so Matsuda resorted to his back up plan. He reached into his carry-on bag underneath his seat and pulled out a small blue teddy bear with a black bow tie. He put the small bear next to Astia's face and she turned to see it.

"Mister Matsie? What's this?" She said through teary eyes.

"A lot of people have trouble with their first plane ride, I picked this up before I came to your house. You know, in case you decided to come with me. Which, you did, so I'm glad that I picked it up." He whispered, half to himself half to Astia, as he placed the teddy bear into her hand.

Astia looked up at Matsuda and felt a warm feeling in her chest. Matsuda, a man that she had just met a few hours ago, had been thinking of her best interest before even meeting her. He was looking out for her when the only thing he knew about her was that spirits could talk through her. For the first time in her life someone saw "The Girl Who Talks to Ghosts" as a person. She grasped the teddy bear to her chest and put her head on Matsuda's shoulder.

"Thanks, Mister Matsie. This is incredibly sweet." She told him quietly.

Matsuda smiled. For once Matsuda, who was always seen as a screw-up, felt as if he finally did something right.

"All a part of the keikaku, Ms. Bell." Matsuda replied.

"The kei-what-ku?"

"Plan, Ms. Bell. Keikaku means plan."

When Matsuda and Astia got off of the plane they were both half dead from exhaustion. A black car with a white calligraphy "L" on it picked them up from outside of luggage claim. Matsuda helped Astia put her bags in the trunk of the car and then he entered the car himself. The driver of the car seemed to be an elder man with a smoking pipe in his mouth. He seemed completely indifferent towards their presence, but from what Astia could see in the rearview mirror he had a kind face.

"Are you excited, Ms. Bell?" Matsuda asked her as he entered the car.

Astia yawned and stretched her arms.

"Of course I'm excited! Really tired, but excited." She said, as Matsuda sat down in the car next to her.

As the car began to move Astia found herself so tired she could barely keep her eyes open. She rested her head on Matsuda's shoulder and closed her eyes. She thought about the new strange path that her life was taking, and for the first time in a long time she felt as if she was in the right place. The car rocked like a cradle, and the sound of the engine acted as a lullaby. Astia could feel herself being pulled ankles first into a pool of slumber, but she felt safe and she allowed it to happen.

When Astia awoke she saw white. White walls enclosed her. White sheets blanketed her body in a white bed with a white canopy enveloping it. She looked at her clothes, someone had slipped her into a silk white set of pajamas.

"Hello, Astia." A voice said from the corner.

Astia jumped. She turned to see where the voice was coming from. She was surprised to see that the source of the voice was a boy who's white hair blended with the walls so well she hadn't noticed him.

"Hi, um who are you? Where am I? Who's clothes are these?" She asked the boy, trying not to rush her words.

He stepped away from the wall and sat on a white chair near the end of the bed.

"My name is Nate River, you may call me 'Near'. I am the leading detective at Wammy's. You, are currently at the Wammy's Headquarters where you will work and live for the time being. This is your bed. This is your room, and those are your pajamas. You'll have to excuse me, but I couldn't help seeing you sleep in such uncomfortable clothing." Near told her.

Astia blushed. There was a line and Near had crossed it. The thought of a teenage boy undressing and redressing her body made her uncomfortable, even if it wasn't for romantic reasons. She supposed that she couldn't complain though, it was a thoughtful gesture, and it seemed like Near didn't have a whole lot of practice interacting with people around his age.

"Thank you, Mister Near. That was very thoughtful of you."

Now it was Near's turn to blush. His porcelain skin developed a pink tint. A girl had complimented him and now his cheeks felt hot.

"Uh-well you're welcome. So uhh when you're uh- settled, when you're settled in please come downstairs so you can… uh get to work. Thank you." He sputtered his words like a broken faucet. Then he left the room with his head to the floor.

Astia put her clothes in the tall white drawers in the room, then looked in the lone mirror that sat on top of the white dresser. Her hair was a little messy from sleeping so long, but her face looked well-rested. How long had she been asleep? She figured Matsuda must've carried her into the headquarters after she fell asleep in the car. Her dark brown eyes stared at her in the mirror, her face looked white which made her pink lips stand out more on her face. She ran her hands through her hair a few times. After all, this was a job and she should look presentable, but after combing through it multiple times she realized it was hopeless and she began making her way downstairs.

At the end of the last stair was a large room with a glass table at the center of it. Three couches stood on each side of the glass table, forming a triangle around it. Matsuda sat on the couch facing the stairs, and Near sat on the couch facing opposite them. Matsuda's face gained a large bright smile when he saw Astia coming down the stairs. Near noticed Matsuda's change in disposition and turned around to see what was causing it, but then saw it was Astia and once more his eyes met the floor.

"Should we begin?" She asked. "You know, 'calling his spirit' and such."

"Uh- erm yes, yes we should." Near stuttered.

Matsuda looked at Near, confused. He had never seen Near act so strange before.

"Yes, Ms. Bell. We should begin, if you don't mind." Matsuda said, still staring at Near who tried to avoid all eye contact.

Astia sat on the open couch and tried to feel the presence of L's spirit. She felt nothing. Her mind searched the building for interaction, and she felt nothing. Her heart began to race as she wondered if she couldn't do this job. They would send her back home if she couldn't do it. Her heart began to beat faster. No, she couldn't go back home. She had to stay. Why couldn't she feel his presen-. Then it happened. An overwhelming force entered Astia's mind. Her head felt a tsunami was crashing over it. She didn't try to fight it though, something told her that fighting it would be futile. Not once had she ever had to deal with a mind even half this strong. The spirit was ripping half of her mind away from her, taking it with ease. It didn't feel like a visitor was using her mind, it felt like a spirit had signed a partnership with her mind and now they shared control. She wasn't a vessel anymore, no, she was a roommate. A roommate in her own mind.

Matsuda and Near watched as her eye color changed to a blackish color and dark circles formed underneath her eyes. She gripped the couches arm. Matsuda leaped forward, wanting to help. Near held him back. Astia looked like she was in a lot of pain, but Near understood that it needed to be done. The pain meant that their plan was working. Her teeth grit together and the room's lights flickered and dimmed. Her legs smashed against the floors as her new 'roommate' moved in. Then everything stopped. The lights went back to their original settings and Astia's body silenced.

"Ms. Bell?" Matsuda whispered, cutting through the silence.

Astia lifted her head up.

"No… I am L. Thank you, however, for bringing Astia to me. Now, I believe we have some cases to get to. I believe that's why I'm here." A monotonous male voice came from Astia's body, the voice of detective L Lawliet.

"Ryuzaki?! Well, yes, but um is Ms. Bell still there?" Matsuda asked with an open mouth.

"Ms. Bell is now sharing a mind with me. I am currently in control of speaking so right now she is at the recesses of the mind listening to me, but I can still hear her thoughts and the two of us can still communicate. She wants you to know that she's alright, and when Astia would like it back, I will relinquish control and I will recede into the recessive of her mind. As of right now though, we have cases to solve."

"Uh yes Ryuzaki!" Matsuda said, putting a file on the glass table. "See, here we have a group of murders that all seem to be related. At the scene of each murder there was a rose branded on the victim's corpse, the public are calling these killings the "Black Rose" murders. We, unfortunately, haven't found any leads on who this killer or killers could be. We're not even a hundred percent sure that these killings are related."

"Where were these murders committed?" L asked, Astia's eyes focused on the file.

"All of them were committed within twenty miles of Bashton. That's the only similarity we could find in the locations."

Astia's head nodded.

"Who were the victims?" He asked.

"Five men between the ages of twenty and thirty five and three women between the ages of twenty eight and forty." Matsuda responded.

"Any similarities there?"

"Six of them worked for the same factory in Linkton, it was some sort of animal testing unit for makeup and things of that sort."

"Is there any way th-" L stopped.

Astia's eyes turned white. Matsuda and Near jumped back in shock. Matsuda placed his overlapped hands on his mouth and concealed a gasp as Astia's eyes turned brown again. She grasped her head.

"Did I lose him?!" She asked with shaking hands.

 _No, Astia, I'm still here. "Astia" is an appropriate name right? I would call you "Ms. Bell", but I figured ,due to the circumstances, that we were on a first name basis._

 _Yes, L, that's fine. What happened?_

 _Well, I believe you're unable to relinquish complete control of your body for long periods of time without becoming overwhelmed. If you're willing to cooperate I can solve cases by communicating with you internally as we are right now._

 _I can do that!_

"What's going on?" Matsuda asked, confused.

Astia had been holding her head with a worried expression on her face for the past minute as Matsuda and Near stared at her, not knowing what was happening.

"I can't have him talk through me for long periods of time. It's too overwhelming, so instead I'm going to talk for him ,but we're still going to communicate internally." As she informed Matsuda and Near of what was happening they began to look a little weary. Astia realized that all of this supernatural activity must be a lot for people who weren't exposed to it on a regular basis. It was a lot even for Astia who was exposed to supernatural things every day.

"Um guys, are you ok?" She asked them.

They mumbled replies of "Uh-yes, I'm fine"s and scratched their heads.

"Well, Ms. Bell, you look exhausted. Maybe you should go back to your room and rest for a while longer. It has been a long day, it's getting late. I'm sure we'll be able to work better after a good night's sleep."

Astia agreed. She figured Matsuda and Near needed a break from the supernatural stuff. They'd seen a lot for one day, and truthfully, Asia was drained too. Having a such a strong spirit take over her body left her weak and tired.

"Yes, well, goodnight Mister Matsie and Mister Near." Astia said, and she made her way back up the stairs that led to the white room.

"Goodnight, Astia."

"Goodnight, Ms. Bell."

The boys said in unison.

 _Astia?_

L began to speak to her again as she entered her room.

 _What a peculiar name._ He said.

 _A peculiar name? This is coming from a man named L._

 _Fair enough, does it mean anything?_

 _It means "Vessel" in Finnish._

 _Are you Finnish?_

 _No, my parents just heard the word "Roskat" ,which is a Finnish word, and they thought it sounded pretty so they wanted to name me that._

 _Why didn't they?_

 _Because later they found out that "Roskat" means "Garbage"._

He laughed inside of her head. He had an unusual laugh that was oddly refreshing. Hearing it gave her a small grin.

 _So they decided to name me "Astia", which is also a Finnish word, because it sounded pretty and it didn't mean garbage._

 _I see, well it's a beautiful name._

 _Thank you… what does L stand for?_

" _Lost One" or "Last One"._

At this point Astia was now in bed under the white covers, laying on her white pillow, forcing herself to stay awake because she wanted to speak to L more.

 _That's very interesting. Tell me more about yourself, L."_

 _What would you like to know?_

 _Uh the Kira Case! I've read all about it, now I wanna hear it from the original source._

There was silence for a few seconds, and Astia worried that she may have asked for too much.

 _Well, Astia, If you'd like I can show you._ He said after a few more seconds.

 _What do you mean?_

 _I mean, I can show you parts of the Kira Case through flashbacks, but I need your approval._

She thought about it for a moment, but saw no downside to L showing her a few flashback. Besides, she was curious to see what it was actually like. The internet had so many different versions of what the Kira Case was like, she wanted so much to see it firsthand.

 _Alright_. She told him. _Well let's see it then!_

Then, the flashbacks began.


	3. Chapter 3

There was a young man with honey brown hair. He was a tall attractive man, but something about him gave Astia an eerie feeling. Flashes of the man ran through her head. He was in a school. No, a tennis court. No, a restaraunt. No, now she saw him through a screen. He was eating... a potato chip? Now he was in a cell. A helicopter. The flashbacks slowed to a stop. Her mind was focused on one image now. The man was in the rain. On a balcony. There was another man with him. Something inside of her mind knew that the second man on the balcony was L. Astia could feel the blood rush to her face as she watched him look up at the sky. She never thought Detective L would look like.. this. The story that she had heard a million times was now coming to life in front of her. Somehow she expected him to have a tweed trenchcoat and maybe a pipe. The man she saw, however, wore a white long sleeved shirt and baggy jean pants. His wet clothes clung to his skin as the rain continued to pour down. His black hair shimmered with rain water, but Astia was more focused on the mysterious eyes that lied underneath his bangs. He spoke to the man with honey brown hair, but Astia couldn't make out the words. Then, quickly the flashback changed. There was a dark room that was only lit by a red computer screen. She heard a clinking sound as something hit the floor. Then, Astia watched as Detective L fell to the ground and the honey haired man fell with him. The detective's eyes faded and a grin overcame the face of the honey haired man. A rush of emotions ran through Astia's body. She felt a burning anger that formed a lump in her throat, but she felt a sadness that transitioned that lump into tears. Her face became damp as droplets slid off of her cheeks. L realized that he had made her sad and jerked her out of the flashbacks.

 _Astia? Are you alright?_

 _I'm fine. That was just so horrible. Who was that man?_

 _Light Yagami, or as you may know him better, Kira._

 _I-I hate him. He deserved his death, he's just...awful._

L paused for a moment, revisiting old memories.

 _Perhaps he was, but he was my friend._

Astia felt a ping of sadness in her chest. Even after being murdered by Light, L still thought of him as a friend. She tried to surpress tears.

 _Well, L. Now I'm your friend._

In Astia's mind she could feel the warmth of his smile. She pictured what it would look like if he was in front of her. She imagined his sleep deprived eyes looking at her as the corners of his mouth lifted up. It gave her goosebumps. She was afraid that his response would make her blush so she quickly added:

 _I don't have many friends. If it makes you feel any better. Sometimes I think it's easier to talk to spirits than it is to talk to the living._

At that moment, L wanted to give Astia a hug. He wanted to comfort her and let her know that he understood how she felt. However, all he could do was tell her the truth.

 _Well, Astia. Now I'm your friend too._

Astia grinned.

 _I guess we won't be alone anymore._

 _I guess not._

She yawned very loudly, despite her attempts to surpress it, and now her cover was blown. Astia was tired and now L knew. She knew immediatley he would make her do the unthinkable, go to sleep.

 _Astia, you're tired._

 _No, I'm not. Who's tired? I'm not tired. Screw sleep._

 _Go to sleep._

 _Sleep is for the weak._

 _I'm not going anywhere, we'll talk more in the morning._

Although Astia wanted to stay awake the entire night and learn everything there was to know about Detective L, she was far too tired to agrue so she submit.

 _Alright, L. Sweet dreams._

 _Goodnight, Astia._

With that, Astia fell into a deep sleep blanketed by visions of Detective L.

"Astia... It's morning." Near said in a mild tone.

Astia lifted her head. Morning light punctured the white curtains covering her window and a ray of bright light shone on her bed, making her look almost angelic despite her messy demeanor.

"Hello, Mister Near!" She replied, half asleep.

"I-I just figured you'd want to get ready for the day. There are cases to solve after all." He spoke with his eyes glued to the white carpeted floor.

"So, I'm allowed to dress myself this time, Mister Near?" Astia joked, trying to put Near at ease.

He looked at her with an open mouth as he tried to sputter out a response. His face turned crimson underneath his white hair.

"Uh-well-uh I'm sorry, I just uh-um. Well, yes. I'll see you downstairs."

Near left the room, struggling to close the door behind him.

 _What was that about?_ L asked as Astia begun to get dressed.

 _Just an inside joke. All part of the keikaku. That means plan, by the way._ She told L in a matter-of-fact way.

 _Astia, I know what keikaku means._

She made her way down the long stairs to the room with the glass table. Matsuda was waiting by the small kitchen area that stood on the left side of the large room.

"Good morning Ms. Bell! Would you like breakfast? French toast? Muffins. OOOoo! How about an omelete?"

"An omelete would be eggcellent!" Astia replied. She could hear L groan in the back of her mind.

 _Astia, can we have cake?_

 _For breakfast?_

 _Yes, please._

 _That's not very healthy, L. How about an omelete with onions! Oh, and spinach... and cheese. Yum!_

 _Astia, no! I hate vegetables. Can we have some strawberries?_

 _Okay, how about an omelete with cheese and some strawberries on the side?_

L thought about this carefully.

 _Deal._

"Mister Matsie, I'd like a cheese omelete with a side of strawberries if it isn't much trouble."

"No trouble at all! I love to cook." Matsuda said cheerfully.

Astia watched as Matsuda began making her meal, but as he took a carton of eggs out of the fridge he tripped and dropped them on to the tile.

"DAMMIT MATSUDA!" Astia yelled. Then clasped her hands over her mouth. The words forced their way out of her. She didn't mean to yell at him it was just a reaction. Her eyes were giving him a thousand apologies.

Matsuda looked surprised for a moment, then he smiled.

"That's Ryuzaki alright, I bet the strawberries are for him too."

Astia laughed.

"They are, he doesn't seem to have the best eating habits." She replied.

"Well there's another carton of eggs in the fridge, I'll go get it."

 _Matsuda._ L said. _He hasn't changed a bit._


	4. Chapter 4

_For the love of justice, Astia. How can you ingest this?_

Astia could feel L gagging in her mind. The omelet that stood adjacent to her glass of orange juice was filled to the brim with onions and spinach, per Astia's request. L wasn't quite as pleased as Astia was with their breakfast.

 _I love spinach and onion! How can you not like spinach and onion?_

 _They're slimy and salty. They're not sweet in the slightest._

 _Not every meal has to be drowned in sugar, L._

 _Can we please take another bite of strawberry?_

 _Okay._

Astia grabbed a strawberry from the bowl Matsuda had charitably prepared for her. The strawberries were fresh and very ripe. When Astia took a bite the cold juice hurt her teeth a bit, but she could feel L's satisfaction in the back of her head.

A door behind the kitchen island opened and Astia whipped her head around to see the origin of the noise. Near stood in the narrow doorway, half naked. His boxers hung lowly over his scrawny body lying on his hips just exposing two faded V-lines. There was a small dip in the front of the boxers that exposed the near end of his happy trail. He was drying his white hair with a towel, not noticing Astia sitting four feet away from him.

"Matsuda, why didn't you lay out my clothe-" Near stopped as he lifted his head seeing Astia witnessing his nudity.

His snow white body turned the color of a harvest moon as their eye contact lingered. Astia looked him over, feeling the heat rise to her head. He was really… different underneath those baggy white clothes. She studied the lines across his body. His sunken chest and deep set clavicles. Astia could feel her face turning red, matching the shade of Near's chest. She could feel L's jealousy pull her back into reality and out of the dreamy Near induced wonderland where she had previously been.

 _Maybe take the harlequin down a notch, Astia. Before you start drooling._

Near dropped his towel and looked at Matsuda. A storm brew within his gray eyes as their eyes locked.

"I'm so sorry Near, I was making Astia's breakfast." Matsuda said in the most apologetic voice Astia's ears had ever been experienced to.

"Uh, don't worry Mister Near. You can eat your breakfast like that, I don't mind!" Astia told him.

 _Of course you don't._ L commented in the back of Astia's mind.

Near sat down beside Astia as Matsuda poured Near's cereal into a white glass bowl. Near's messy hair stood swept over against his partially dried head. He dipped his spoon into the bowl and crunched as he ate his cereal.

Astia tried not to stare. She noticed small things out of the corner of her eye. The way the morning light caused a blueish shadow over him. The way he hunched over his cereal as he ate it. The bones of his spine were barely visible against his skin. She skimmed every detail from the way that his legs spread at a perfect ninety degree angle, to the way his eyebrows furrowed as he focused on each bite. The way… oh god… his white boxers had a Wammy's House logo on the sides. That was adorable. Astia found herself staring at the elastic that held those boxers in place and her mind began to wonder what would happened if it just disappeare-

 _ASTIA!_

 _WHAT?_

 _Can we please continue eating? I've seen more of Near's body than I've ever needed to._

 _I was just looking at his boxers. They have a Wammy's House logo on them. I'm wondering, you know, where he got them. Technically I work for Wammy's House now and it would be nice to have some... uh merchandise._

 _Astia, don't forget I can feel your emotions._

Astia blushed at the thought of L feeling her attraction towards Near. She knew that she needed to be professional, this man was her boss. There was just something about the way that his gray eyes were so intently focused on his bowl of Chex, and his bare body was graceful without effort. It made her skin tingle.

" Ms. Astia, would you like a piece of cake to accompany your breakfast?" Matsuda asked, with a piece of cheesecake in hand. He seemed to be trying to atone for his previous sin.

L's thoughts immediately shifted away from Astia's sudden interest in Near and jumped on to the sudden cake proposal.

 _Astia, he's offering cake. Accept the cake. Please accept the cake._

 _Alright, L._

Astia said. She accepted the cake in Matsuda's hand and took a large bite, distracting L as he savored the sweet sensation. As L was distracted she stole one last glimpse of Near before his attention returned. Near saw Astia staring out of the corner of his eye, and grinned at her.

Astia's eyes widened and she turned forward, avoiding eye contact.


	5. Chapter 5

Astia had finished her meal leaving nothing on her plate with the exception of a few strawberry leaves. Near had excused himself for a few moments and returned to the kitchen fully dressed in his white button down shirt and white silk pants. Astia found herself mildly displeased at the sight of his clothes body, but quickly suppressed that feeling for L's sake. Matsuda escorted Near and Astia into the room with the triangular couches. The three tangible bodies sat on each of the couches and faced each other. Matsuda placed a manilla colored folder on to the glass table.

"Alright, Miss Astia. The Black Rose Murders are still an ongoing problem, if L could just analyze them and-"

"Do we have any prominent suspects?" Astia blurted, L throwing the words out of her mouth.

"Uhhh what do you mean?" Matsuda replied with slight shame.

Astia sighed.

"You said that they worked for an animal testing unit, is there any aggressive PETA members in the media, any flower children breaking cages at pet shops?" Astia's voice was lined with sarcasm. She felt herself losing control over her mouth, she allowed it to happen, but was mildly reluctant to let it go.

"Well, there's a woman named Ruusu Wilson who's currently the most uh zealous activist in the media, but I highly doubt she has the capability to murder anyone. As far as we're concerned she's an outspoken pacifist." Matsuda said.

"Anyone is capable of murder if their passion is threatened." Astia nearly whispered. "I want this woman in for questioning."

"Asti- uh, L. We can't just go around questioning people who-"

"Matsuda, you contacted me from the dead. You brought me a vessel to take my soul from the spirit world, and you're questioning the advice that I'm giving you." L's voice was now the only sound coming out of Astia's mouth.

Matsuda hesitated, opening his mouth to speak and closing it again. Then he spoke.

"Alright, I'll contact the Wammy's House officials. We'll bring her in for questioning." Matsuda's voice deflated more with each word spoken.

L's spirit retreated to the depths of Astia's mind after he received an answer he was satisfied with. Astia looked at the ceiling as she regained control over her body. She watched as her vision turned black, and her body became heavy. She felt herself going limp and watching the room speed past her

"Miss Astia!" Matsuda shouted as her body fell forward towards the glass table.

Near stood and threw his arms forward to catch her before she hit the glass. Astia was nearly unconscious, mumbling incoherently under her breath.

"I'll take her upstairs." Near told Matsuda. A worried look was frozen on his face, but he nodded his head.

Near took Astia into his arms firefighter style, feeling her body bouncing as he carried her up every step.

Opening the door with his feet, he carefully placed her body on to the white bed. He sat down beside her, catching his breath. Then caught a glance at the hair in her face, and felt obligated to stroke the hair out of her face and behind her ears. He could feel her warm breath against her hand. He didn't want to leave her alone, in the event that her warm breath turned cold.

He gently stroked her head, noticing her black eyelashes lying gently on her eyebags. Her hair was sprawled over the white pillow like a blanket of midnight over snow. Her small lips were parted slightly allowing just enough air in to keep her alive.

Seeing Astia in this vulnerable state made Near want to open up, to match her vulnerability. The worry he felt when he had seen her falling still clung to his heart. He felt uneasy waves in his chest and nausea in his stomach. There was a plethora of things weighing on his mind. He began speaking to Astia in her unconscious state.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know that he would have this kind of effect on you. Well, maybe I knew it was a possibility." He paused for a moment.

"I just didn't think I'd care what happened to you. I mean, I didn't think I'd care about you. I mean- what I'm saying is- it's usually so hard. Talking to girls. They're so, shallow. Well, that's not fair. Not all of them, but so many are- they're-ugh-they're not interested in solving the puzzle. They've either been cut-to-the-chase kind of girls like the ones in Wammy's House or… Shallow girls with skewed priorities, like the ones I've met out in the world." He stopped again, trying to compose himself this time.

"I've always just liked being alone. You're so different though, you're tolerable, well what I mean is, you're sweet, and…. you make me feel lonely when you're not around… But you're not strong enough to hold him, his mind is too strong. He's going to destroy you... I'll figure something out. I have to." Near monologued quietly.

He looked at her again, she hadn't moved. There was now drool on the side of her mouth as a result of her mouth-open sleeping habit. Near smirked a little at the utterly raw state he was witnessing Astia in. It almost seemed special, he was seeing her completely uncomposed, unaware that she was being watched. This is was Astia in her most natural state.

The moment seemed appropriate, he swiped Astia's bangs back and gave her a quick peck on the head, then exited the room, closing the door carefully behind him, glancing back once more to assure himself that she would be okay.

Astia's unconscious face developed a red tint.

 _What's he going to do to me? What's he going to do to her?_

L thought quietly to himself.

When Astia had passed out L had kept himself aware, making sure that no harm came to her body while she wasn't able to guard it herself.

He began worrying about how Near planned to solve the dilemma. L didn't want to leave Astia's body, he had grown a bond with her closer than he had ever had with anyone in his living days. Even closer than his bond with Light. He could feel her emotions. He could see without doubt that she had no ulterior motives, no secret plans. She was pure. All she wanted was solitude and acceptance. He could trust her. L felt more alive as a spirit in her body than he did when he was a living person. He felt as if he found something that he had been missing throughout his entire life as a detective. He didn't want Near to take that away from him. Near was meant to be an extension of L, but was now being seen as unnecessary competition.

Astia's heart began to beat faster as a result of L's anxious thoughts. He calmed himself, not wanting to wake her up. Then continued to guard her body until she returned from the realm of dreams.

Near slowly wandered down the stairs, stopping occasionally as if to think about his next step. Exiting the stairway he walked into the room with the three couches. He watched Matsuda stand up and head into the kitchen with Astia's empty plate. Matsuda hesitated before placing Astia's plate in the sink. He seemed in deep thought and didn't react when Near entered the kitchen after him.

"Is she okay, Near?" Matsuda asked with worry-strained eyes as Near walked past him.

Near stopped walking briefly.

"Matsuda, I am retiring to my room for the next few hours. Please retrieve me when Astia wakes up " He replied with flat monotonous words.


End file.
